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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29477505">OBX: An Outer Banks Story | Season 2</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aft33/pseuds/aft33'>aft33</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Outer Banks (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Brain Damage, Brain Surgery, Brain tumor, Cancer, Cancer Arc, Drama, Fanfic, Fanfiction, Gay Character, Gay Drama, Gay Love, Gay Male Character, Gay Romance, LGBTQ, M/M, OBX, Outer Banks, Romance, Sick Character, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, gay angst, sick teen, teen drama, teen fanfic, teen fanfiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:21:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29477505</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aft33/pseuds/aft33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>We return to the Outer Banks with a New Season and a buttload of new drama!!!</p><p>(This story includes mature themes including, but not limited to... violence, PTSD, and abuse)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>JJ Maybank/Original Male Character, Sarah Cameron/John B. Routledge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Episode 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Well… what do I do now? The doctor’s words ring through my head as she walks out of the room. I look down at the brochures she gave me and wonder who created them. Who decided to put these weird pictures of cats and random families in fields? Everything the doctor said feels like years ago. I feel like I’ve just lived in this room. But somewhere deep down I know I have to leave. I have to go out into the world with everything I just found out. How do people do this? How do people go into the world with this kind of knowledge? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After 15 or so minutes I finally manage to walk to the door and open it. Then I fold the brochures and stuff them in my pocket before stepping out. I start walking without thinking. I just keep moving forward until I see Sarah at the end of the hall. She hasn’t noticed me yet. My head starts ringing. What do I say? What do I do? I just keep walking towards her for some reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” She stands up, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason, her smile feels weird. The idea of smiling feels weird. Why do people smile? How do people smile through this sort of thing?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” And without trying I put on a fake smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So? How’d it go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s all good.” A big lie. “I’m all good to sleep.” That’s true at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you take me home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It all feels so weird stepping out into the real world. The hospital felt like another planet. Somewhere only the bad things existed. But it turns out, the bad things also exist outside of the hospital. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire car ride is silent. And when we get to the house I just walk straight in, past Kiara and JJ, up the stairs, and straight into my room and onto my bed. I hear murmurs of talking between Sarah, Kiara, and JJ. I try and listen, mostly because I’m nosey, but I quickly fall asleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When I wake up I feel like I’d only been asleep for seconds. I turn over in bed and stare out the window. I can see the small ray of light going through the curtain. The light illuminates the small dust particles floating in the air. The door creaks open and Taylor pops her head in. She looks at me and smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been in bed for almost 30 hours now. Do you want some food? Something to drink?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I just look at her for a second before turning back over and pulling the blanket over my head. I hear the door close. Then I just lay there. I don’t feel the need to sleep, but my body just doesn’t want to move. I can feel my bladder ready to explode, but I just don’t care. I also smell myself and damn it’s bad, but I don’t care enough to actually get out of bed and take a shower. Because why? What’s the point? If what the doctors told me is true… then what’s the goddamn point?</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>I don’t know how much time has passed when JJ walks in. He walks and sits on the bed next to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everything alright?” I say nothing, just stare at the wall. “Everyone is really worried.” I turn to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really need to pee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Okay.” I get out of bed and rush over to the bathroom. “You hungry?” I hear him from the other room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chinese food. Chicken Lo Mein, Beef Fried Rice, and some Steamed Dumplings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” I hear him leave the room and immediately walk back in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look around the room and start to clean. I can’t honestly say why, but it just feels right. So I clean. Then I shower. Then I put on some clean clothes. Then leave my room. Then I walk to the top of the stairs. Then I freeze. My entire body clenches. I start to think about everything. I can feel myself spiraling once again. It’s all attacking me from all directions all at once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The food’s here.” JJ is at the bottom of the steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” I put a smile on and follow behind him to the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I walk in, everyone is here and puts on a smile the second I walk in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” I just say as I grab the Lo Mein and everyone just says hello like complete weirdos. “I was thinking…” I take a large mouthful of noodles and everyone just waits for me to chew and swallow. “I’m going to go away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Sarah is the first to comment before I continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To my parent’s lake house in Ithaca. Just for the weekend. I just need… I need some time away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We understand.” Taylor walks up to me as I eat a dumpling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys can come if you want.” I eat another dumpling. “I just don’t know if you’ll want to come. School starts so soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course we’d want to come!” John B shouts and everyone starts laughing and getting excited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s leave tonight.” I blurt out and everyone looks around at each other for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” One by one they all agree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meet back here at 7?” Sarah says and everyone nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is gonna be fun,” JJ says as he is the last one to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has to be,” I whisper after closing the door on everyone.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time the last one arrives, I’m all ready to go. I’m ready to get the hell out of dodge. I’m ready to just not think anymore. To just be away from all that makes me want to never wake up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Let’s go!” Kiara says as she slams the trunk to Sarah’s car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I decided to ride in John B’s van with him, JJ, and Kiara. I knew they wouldn’t be paying attention to me as much. They won’t be constantly worried. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ride starts off loud and fun. The first 3 or 4 hours is filled with loud music, singing, and lots of laughing. I laughed a bit, but most of it was just forced. I knew it would look weird if I didn’t laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, we stopped at a 24-hour diner for a pee break and some food. I somehow got convinced into joining Sarah's car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah’s car was filled with a lot of talking. At some point, I just fell asleep. Then, many hours later I wake up. Taylor is driving. Pope is talking to her in the passenger seat. Sarah is asleep in the seat next to me. I take a look at my phone, where I’ve received an email from a lawyer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I nearly drop my phone when Sarah wakes up and speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning.” She sits up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How far are we?” She asks Taylor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“20 or so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The last time I was here…” I accidentally begin to say out loud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I just stare out the window for a minute before realizing that Sarah and Pope are both looking at me. I turn to them and just smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. Buzzkill.” I laugh, but the others stay silent. “You guys are really gonna love the house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t wait to see it.” Taylor chimes in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s been some time since I’ve been there myself.” Then I begin to think about the last time.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When we arrive, everyone is pretty shocked by the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit!” Pope shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…” Taylor parks the car and steps out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude! This place is sick!” John B shouts as he gets out of his van and runs over to me, putting his arm around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are only five bedrooms, but there’s a pull-out in the library.” I walk over to find the hidden key.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine. John B and I can share a bed.” Sarah says and John B walks over to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course we can.” He smiles and kisses her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stick to the pullout.” JJ smiles as he grabs his bag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you, the one who brought us here, can have the master.” Taylor walks up to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” I blurt out and everyone turns to me. “Someone else can have that. I’ll just have my old room.” I walk past everyone and through the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking in makes me feel like I walked into a memory. It all begins to rewind. I forget about everyone around me. I forget about what has happened this past year. I just walk up the stairs. I walk straight to my old room. The second I open the door and the smell of the past hits me, I swear my knees weaken just a little. I walk in and drop the bag. It starts getting hard to breathe. My throat is closing up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You good?” Sarah’s voice almost makes me pee my pants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” I turn around, smiling, pretending nothing is happening. “All good.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Episode 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>OBX - Season 2 Episode 2</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I unpack and sit in my room for a while. I just sit there and look around. It all looks so normal. It looks the same as it always had. Untouched. Unchanged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey. Parker.” A knock on the door makes me jump.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Come in.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>JJ walks in, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“John B, Kiara, and Pope went to get some food and drinks. We’re baking up some brownies if you wanna join?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… yeah… I’ll be there in a minute.” JJ just smiles before walking out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I sit there and take a deep breath. I stare at the wall and just breathe. I focus on each breath in and each breath out. In through the nose, out through the mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, I stop staring at the wall and stand up. I look around and realize the sun has gone down. It’s dark out and somehow I’ve been sitting here and staring at this wall for a long time without realizing it. I walk downstairs and everyone is back from the store and hanging out in the kitchen and living room area.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Pope shouts, a bit drunk and very smiley.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” He hands me a beer. “Sorry. I fell asleep.” I tell JJ as he walks up to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem. John B’s grilling some burgers right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got an assortment of beers and liquor.” Taylor is a bit toasted as she puts her arm around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good.” I take a seat at the island in the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got fresh brownies as well.” JJ sits next to me. “The ones in the purple tin are the special brownies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they’re still a little hot so I wouldn’t…” Sarah walks in talking, but I just grab a knife and cut out a massive piece. “Oh, I wouldn’t take that much. They’re pretty strong.” I eat the entire piece.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“OMG,” Taylor says before she and Pope start laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…” JJ starts speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long until the burgers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five or so minutes.” Sarah quietly says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great!” I get up and walk outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I smell the burgers as I step out. John B doesn’t notice me as I walk past the outdoor kitchen and the pool. I walk onto the dock and to the end, looking at the moonlight shining on the still water. It’s so peaceful and calming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Burgers are ready!” Someone yells from the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s already been five minutes? Time just seems to be going very fast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I stand up and turn towards the house. As I face the house I see him once again. He’s standing at the beginning of the dock, just staring at me. I blink a few times and then he’s just gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The burgers were good. The dinner was fun. We all just laughed, talked, and made fun of JJ. By the time we’re done, I am starting to feel the effects of the brownie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who wants to play a game?” Sarah says as she takes out a deck of cards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone goes to sit in the living room. I sit right next to JJ and all I can think about is running my hands up his body. Everything in me is getting hornier by the minute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>We start playing some weird game that makes no sense but is weirdly fun. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As time goes on Taylor and I stop playing. Then Pope stops. Eventually, the game is over and we’re all just sitting around talking. At some point, we talk about the differences between the Harry Potter books and movies. We discuss the believability of the Power Puff Girls. Then we all have a very heated debate regarding pancakes vs waffles. I was team pancakes. Then we somehow get into talking about our favorite pokemon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charmander all the way!” JJ shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Totally!” Pope chimes in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always loved Togepi.” Taylor walks in from the kitchen with a drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aww Togepi is so cute!” Sarah says as she looks up a picture of Togepi on her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s such a girl pokemon to choose.” John B says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, what’s yours? Charizard?” Taylor counters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… actually… mine is Pikachu of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? How basic!” JJ laughs. “What’s yours, Parker?” Everyone looks over to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um…” I start thinking about it and as I look out one of the windows, I see him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s standing in the same spot he was before. Back at the docks. He’s small, but it’s definitely him. Then he waves. Something about him seems different than the other times I’ve seen him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” I snap back and look at everyone, who are now all looking at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… yeah… I guess… Gengar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… that’s a good choice.” John B sounds weird as he says it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I notice everyone is still looking at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” I ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… um… you were just staring out the window for almost five minutes,” Sarah says slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I wasn’t. It was just a few seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was at least five minutes. We were all calling for you and you didn’t respond.” Taylor looks worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” It felt like just a second. “Sorry guys. Just daydreaming I guess.” They still look a little worried. “It’s fine you guys. Just the brownie.” It’s a lie, but necessary in the moment. “Now who wants to go in the hot tub?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone sort of snaps out of it jumps to their feet. They all start to rush off to change into their bathing suits and I just walk out to the backyard. I watch him stand there. But this time I don’t feel so afraid. I feel calm. And I don’t think it’s the brownie. I honestly don’t think the brownie is affecting me much anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoo!” John B and Pope shout as they run out and into the hot tub.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah, Kiara, and Taylor all come out. Kiara and Taylor join the guys in the hot tub. Sarah walks up to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened earlier?” She’s not believing in my bullshit, and I’m not surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a lot of thinking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About anything in specific?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. Just a little bit of everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it. Just remember, if you ever wanna talk I’m right here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” I look around. “I’m gonna go and check on JJ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” She runs off and I walk back inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I head over to the library and knock on the door. No response. I knock again. No response. I turn the doorknob and walk in. Immediately I turn around as I see JJ completely naked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” I go to close the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It’s fine. Come in.” I turn back around and he’s still completely naked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure?” I can’t stop looking down at his penis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I was just listening to some music and relaxing. Take a seat.” I take a seat on the bed and JJ just smiles. “I love the feeling of just being naked and letting it all flow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This song is amazing…” He takes his headphones out and starts playing this slow and very sensual song. “Oh yeah…” He starts dancing, moving back and forth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… we should really…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh…” He puts his finger on my lips. “No more talking.” He slides his finger across my face. “You have such a cute face.” He puts his other hand on my face. “And those lips…” JJ bites his lip before moving forward and beginning to kiss me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His lips are so freakin’ soft. He pushes me down on the bed, putting his naked body on top of mine. Our lips don’t separate for one second. I run my fingers through his amazing blonde locks while his hands slide up my shirt. Then I suddenly feel his hand go into my pants. My body vibrates as his fingers touch my penis. I bite JJ’s lip and he just smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been wanting to do this since I first met you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… really?” JJ’s smile grows as he moves his head down, pulling my pants down at the same time. “Oh my…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was…” JJ begins as I slide my head out of the sheets and plop my head down next to his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Next time you’re on top.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t wait.” We turn onto our sides, facing each other only inches away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was probably the best thing to happen to me in a long time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, that’s a lot of praise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You deserve it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does this mean you’re ready to be more than friends now?” That smile of his makes my stomach flutter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means…” I move a strand of his hair out of his face. “It means that I may be more ready than not ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, that’s a non-answer answer if I’ve ever heard one before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re just gonna have to accept that for now.” JJ laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it’s better than nothing.” He reaches for his phone. “Oh wow! It’s already the morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? We were doing that all night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess time really does fly when…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” I interrupt him. “Too cheesy.” We both laugh. “I should probably head to my room before everyone wakes up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably…” He licks his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. No more. If I’m seen walking out of your room everyone will know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. So what if they find out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? You would let them know that you’re… gay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Why not?” He just smiles, not caring about what others think.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really need to tell you something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” We both sit up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When I saw the doctor the other day... “ I can feel my body tensing up, but then I look at JJ. His smile. How relaxed and happy he is. “She… she showed me a scan of my brain…” I clench my fist, but JJ grabs it until I relax.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got a brain tumor.” It feels so good to say, but when I look at JJ his face is frozen. “She said it was the size of a ping pong ball, which now ruins ping pong for me.” I laugh, but JJ is still frozen. “I can’t honestly say I remember or understand everything the doctor said, but from what I could tell, there is a chance I could survive this.” JJ looks at me. “I have a doctor’s appointment next week to have some more tests and discuss the next steps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like chemo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck.” I can see him getting a little teary-eyed. “How are you okay with this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not. I’m not at all. But… but something about everything I’ve managed to get through and then… last night… I think I’ve finally come to realize that I should stop worrying so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really have managed to get through a shitload of shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. And this is just my next piece of shit to get through.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.” I squeeze his hand. “Please don’t tell the others. I wanna tell them myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Of course. Any plan on when?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not really. It’s all kinda last minute. I wasn’t exactly planning on doing it this weekend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ll be there when it’s time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” We kiss once more before I get out of bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… should you really be drinking and smoking with… you know…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drinking? Probably not. Smoking? I have no idea. I honestly just want to enjoy this weekend without thinking about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Of course.” I finish putting my clothes on and look back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s have fun today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll keep you up to that.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Episode 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Parker?” Fuck. Who is it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” I quietly close the library door and walk towards the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” It’s Sarah.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Last night was fun.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where were you… and JJ?” Oh shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… yeah… well I went to check on him and we just got to talking for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… really? I went to check on you in your room at like four and you weren’t there…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… well I fell asleep in the library. We were just talking for so long we both just fell asleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… okay.” I know she knows it’s a lie, but it’s nice that she’s letting it be. “The bacon will be done in a few minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great. Do you think we could talk outside for a minute?” I can feel it. It feels like the right time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” We walk out to the pool and take a seat, dipping our legs in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” It’s still hard to say. “You…” I knew I wanted to tell JJ and Sarah before the others, but I didn’t think it would be so hard. It was so much easier with JJ. “You… you’ve been really good to me. Like really good. Ever since we first met. You didn’t even know me and you were nice and helpful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s with memory lane?” I look out to see the run beginning to rise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want you to remember the good ol’ days. Well… I don’t know if you could call it good. It wasn’t all bad though. There were some obvious bad times. Obviously.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry… um… what I’m trying to say is… I’ve got a brain tumor. I lied to you when we left the doctor’s office. I’ve been feeling bad about it since. I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” She just looks at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brain tumor. Size of a ping pong ball. Doctor's appointment next week. Tests. All that fun shit. Explains a lot about a lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh… when…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doctor says it probably happened after the car accident. Grew rapidly. Explains the blackouts and the visions of my dad.” My leg is shaking uncontrollably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um…” She places her hand on my leg and it stops shaking. “Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Define okay.” She just smiles and looks me in the eyes. “I’m better. It honestly just feels good to let it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does anyone else know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JJ. I wanna tell the others, but I’m just waiting for the right time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no right time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit!” Sarah jumps to her feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The bacon!” She runs inside and I just stay there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I watch the sun slowly rise. And I see him still. He’s still on the dock. He’s still waiving. I continue staring for just a few more seconds before getting up and walking in. I walk in and John B and Kiara have come down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This bacon is burnt.” John B takes a piece and eats it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then stop eating it.” Sarah smacks him in the butt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” He laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get a room.” Kiara pours herself a cup of coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>JJ then walks in, flashing me a smile before running up and scaring John B.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit dude!” They hit each other lightly before JJ runs up and grabs a piece of bacon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Blackened bacon, just the way I like it.” JJ walks up next to me, nudging me with his leg just a little behind the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what’s the plan for today?” Kiara asks.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Once everyone wakes up we split into two groups. JJ, Taylor, John B, and Pope go off on my dad’s boat while Kiara, Sarah, and I stay at the house to hang by the pool. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” Sarah slips into the pool as Kiara falls asleep while tanning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” I dunk my head under the water and push my hair out of my face. “Soon my hair will be gone.” I awkwardly laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not funny.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I could rock a buzzcut?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah.” I swim over to the edge of the pool facing the dock. “We didn’t get to finish talking earlier.” She goes up next to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what’s the next step? How do we fight this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duh. I’m not letting you do this alone.” It honestly warms my heart when I hear that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we not discuss that right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” We just stare forward for a minute before she speaks again. “I’ve gotta say, this place sure looks good on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just seem happier here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a happy place.” I look at the dock and there he is, waving once again. “My dad was at his best whenever we came here.” She looks over to me and I just look forward. “There’s this one time… I was maybe four or five. And I weirdly remember it almost to the t. I had slept in my parent’s bed the night before because I thought there was a monster under my bed.” We both laugh a little. “But the next morning. It was pretty early. My mom was still asleep, but my dad wasn’t in bed. And I was quite the curious kid. So naturally… I went looking for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Naturally.” Sarah laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sometimes too curious. I found my way to the pool. But I had only barely learned how to swim.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Don’t worry. It’s not that kinda story.” We both laugh. “I guess my mom woke up at some point and she found me. I asked her where my dad was. She just pointed to the dock.” We both look toward the dock. “I never knew it, but apparently my dad liked to go and watch the sunrise every morning. So… as I watched him on the dock, he turned and saw me. He stood with the light of the rising sun behind him. Then he just smiled and waved.” I take a second to look forward and see him again, waving just like in my memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was. It was something special. His smile was something magical. And after that day, I joined him every morning. We didn’t say or do anything. We just sat at the end of the dock, with our feet dangling over the edge, and watched the sun slowly creep up into the day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s sweet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. We even did it as I got older and things got worse. No matter how we were doing. No matter what fight we were in. We met on that dock every morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a good routine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It… it was…” I can feel tears building up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can still see him. He’s right there.” She looks to the dock and then back at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one’s there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know… yet… when I see him I get happy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing wrong with that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But there is!” I shout and look back to see Kiara still asleep. “There is,” I whisper. “He’s an awful person. He’s done nothing but bad. He fuckin’ ruined me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And he’s also your dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you still love him. Even if he did awful shit. In the end, he’s still your dad. Dead, alive, angel, devil. Still your dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it. To be loved.” Tears start going down my face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he does. Everyone does. Trust me when I say I understand. My dad has done awful things, but something still in me loves him and knows I always will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t we just stop loving them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love doesn’t work that way. Once you have love for someone, it’s there for good. It’s there forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” I wipe my tears and close my eyes before allowing myself to sink down to the bottom of the pool. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Everyone eventually got back. We all swam in the lake for a while. We played weird games that JJ and Pope swear are real. And eventually, as the sun started to go down, we went over to the firepit. JJ had way too much fun lighting the fire before we wrapped ourselves up with blankets and got comfortable. We all just started telling stories and talking about our childhoods. But eventually, we got to a weird game of two truths and a lie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I once ate a spider. I broke my arm trying to fly off the roof. And I’ve met Tiger Woods.” JJ looks around, trying to act mysterious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bullshit about the spider! You hate them!” John B shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s gotta be Tiger Woods.” Pope chimes in. “No way he wouldn’t brag about that on a daily basis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True.” Kiara looks right into JJ’s eyes. “Hmm…” Neither of them blink. “You didn’t break your arm flying off the roof.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How’d you know?” JJ says and everything flips out and starts laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you broke your arm off the school roof, thinking you could fly away from school forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god! How’d I forget about that?” John B shouts in embarrassment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you get on the school roof?” I ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A magician never reveals.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, whatever.” Everyone laughs. “Your turn Parker.” Sarah looks at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” I think for a second. “I had shrooms at a party once. I once stayed up for 48 hours and did nothing but watch The Real Housewives. And… I’ve got a brain tumor the size of a ping pong ball.” It just comes out and I immediately regret then immediately feel amazing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously the tumor. You’re really not good at this game.” John B says and everyone but Sarah and JJ starts laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I notice both Sarah and JJ staring over at me, waiting for me to say more. I’m ready just to laugh along and not correct them, but I know I can’t. It’s time to do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually… I had mushrooms right here at the lake house after my parents went to bed.” Everyone goes silent. “I howled like a wolf and woke up my parents.” They all look at me. “I hid in the woods for nearly an hour.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Episode 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I don’t know about that. I’ll have to ask the doctor.” I look around to see if anyone else has any other questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When do you go to the doctor next?” Sarah asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually… I was gonna ask you later, but I called my doctor earlier and moved my appointment up to tomorrow afternoon. I was wondering if we could head back a little earlier…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Of course.” Sarah takes her phone out. “I’ll set my alarm now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. Rest of you guys can stay as late as you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine. We can all leave together.” Taylor says and the others nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Stay. Sleep in. Then head out whenever. There’s no need to change plans for me.” Everyone just smiles. “Now… can we have some shots?” Everyone just starts laughing.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Oh my god I love this song!” Kiara shouts as Hilary Duff’s Come Clean starts blasting on the speaker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too!” I shout, excited as the song starts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Me, Kiara, Sarah, and Pope somehow all know the lyrics and start singing along. We’re all just laughing, singing, and dancing together in a close circle. It’s absolutely the most fun I’ve had in a while and by far the weirdest. I can stop JJ from the corner of my eye. He’s just sitting on the side having a drink. He’s staring right at me and has this stupid big grin on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the song is over I rush off to the side. I grab a water bottle and chug it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone’s thirsty,” JJ says as he walks up to me with another water bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? You think I’m the thirsty one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wanna sneak off?” He whispers to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe…” I bite my lower lip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make it worth it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm…” A song I love starts playing. “Interesting proposition…” I start stepping back to where everyone else is dancing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I grab Taylor and start dancing with her. I feel so happy and so confident that my adrenaline is rushing. I look back over to JJ and he’s still staring at me and smiling. Then he just starts walking towards me. He looks like a man on a mission. Something about his walk over to me is so sexy. Then, as he gets to me, he just grabs my head and starts kissing me. It’s otherworldly. It’s so amazing that I honestly can’t think of a proper word to describe it. For a moment I actually feel myself leave my body. It’s intense. And though it feels like we’ve been kissing for hours, eventually the kiss ends. JJ just smiles. I look around and everyone is still dancing, but have weirdly slowed down and all looking at us. But then they all look away and pretend like they weren’t just starring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure about this?” I whisper to JJ.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to be. If I’m not then doing that was pretty stupid.” We both laugh. “Now show me your dance moves.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Lord was last night fun. Fun and crazy. After a bit more dancing JJ and I stumbled to my bedroom where we had a lot of… fun. I never imagined this trip would be so amazing, but it kinda solved everything… except for my tumor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I wake up way too early after maybe one or two hours of sleep. I have to quietly slide out of JJ’s arms and pack my bag. When I slip out of the room I see Sarah already waiting for me by the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” She seems so awake as we step outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you so chipper?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I had nothing but water last night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? How’s that possible? I saw you taking shots!” We put our bags in the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I made the shots. Mine were watered down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You cheat!” We get into the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I knew I needed to drive and that this was an important day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re way too disciplined.” We start driving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” After driving in silence for about 15 minutes Sarah breaks the silence. “That was quite some kiss…” I can see her holding back a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Yes, it was.” We both just start laughing.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Walking into the hospital isn’t hard. I thought it was going to be, but not at all. I walked in with Sarah. Then the doctor came and we walked into her office. When the doctor entered she began with showing the tumor. It looked so funky on the x-ray. Kinda like a wad of gum. Luckily Sarah was taking notes because nothing was making much of any sense. But what really hit me was when we started discussing the next steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We want to start you on a few rounds of chemo and then when we can stop the tumor from growing, we’d go into surgery to try and remove it all.” This is when it hits me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What sort of things should he expect from chemo?” I look over to Sarah and just smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor gives us multiple brochures, some websites to check out, and a support group to look into. After we talk with her, she takes me to another room for a few blood samples followed by scans in all of these different machines. I just listen to the doctors and nurses. I do what they say when they say it. It all feels like a bad nightmare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” Sarah jumps to her feet when I come to the lobby hours later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry for making you wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s no problem. I was just talking to John B. They should be here in an hour or so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great.” We get into the elevator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is everything okay?” I just stare at the wall. “Parker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I start chemo the day after tomorrow.” The elevator doors open and a few people step in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When we reach the ground level we step out and silently walk to the parking lot. When we step into the car I feel myself breathing heavily. It begins to hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I…” My hand starts shaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker. Breath.” She grabs my hand and grips it tightly. “Just breath.” I grip her hand and start pushing air in through my nose and out through my mouth. “What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hospital parking lot.” I start relaxing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do with JJ last night in your room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah!” We both start laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You good now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Better than I will be.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>2 WEEKS LATER…</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Parker! You home?” I hear Sarah yelling from downstairs. “John B and I’ve got some food!” I’ve simply got no energy to shout back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I hear her walking up the stairs. When she reaches the door she knocks. But after I don’t respond she walks in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker!” She sees me sitting on the ground in the corner of the room. “John B!” I hear John B fumble downstairs and start running up here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.” My throat hurts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” John B says as he enters the room, out of breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just fell getting up to use the bathroom earlier. My body is just weak.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long have you been down here?” They get around me and start helping me to stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough to no longer need to pee.” At this point, I’m no longer embarrassed as they see the small puddle on the ground and my wet pants. “Just put me on my bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No! You’ve gotta shower!” Sarah has her mothering voice on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on?” I look to John B.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I’d disobey her.” I laugh at that and I start coughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take him in there. I’ll grab some water.” Sarah runs off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As we walk into the bathroom I see myself in the mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good I never shaved my head earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You look good with a buzzcut.” John B tries cheering me up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I look ridiculously skinny with no hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you really okay living here by yourself?” He places me down on top of the toilet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m hardly by myself. You guys are here all the time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re all just worried about you.” Sarah walks back in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here. Drink this.” She hands me a water bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As I take a sip of the water I feel my stomach gurgle. Quickly I can feel my stomach flip. I jump off the toilet and within seconds of flipping the seat up, I vomit right into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” John B jumps back as I miss the toilet a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…” Sarah hands me a towel as I sit up against the wall. “You’re coming home with me.” Her voice is stern and kinda scary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve already talked to my dad and he’s fine with you coming to stay in our guest room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” I see John B slip out of the room as Sarah’s face turns serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be on the first floor so there won’t be any worry about the stairs. Plus, my dad’s offered to pay for a nurse to help out, especially when I’m at school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. My dad is the one that actually offered it. He seems to like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?” We both laugh a little. “Ow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll pack you some bags. You just drink some water.” She starts walking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah.” She turns to look at me. “You’re annoying. But thanks.” She just smiles and walks out.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Episode 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So we’re working on getting you a nurse, but for now if you need anything just text me.” I take a seat on my new bed as Sarah opens a window. “Sorry it smells. This used to be Rafe’s gym.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is Rafe home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. He’s rarely here these days with his new job.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Yeah. I heard about that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know where everything is, so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Sarah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem.” She stands there awkwardly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I ask you something?” Oh god.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never asked because I was trying to be respectful and all… but since when did you and Rafe become friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was there in the hospital when you passed out and has been asking about you these past few weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Rafe was there for me when I needed someone. He was very kind and extremely helpful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Rafe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Totally. You should really give him another shot. He hates himself for everything he did. It’s taken a big toll on him. I think he just wants to be forgiven and move on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” She seems in her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it may be hard, but I think just trying would mean a lot to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. Goodnight.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sarah leaves I just sit there in bed. I listen as the house gets silent. Eventually, it sounds like everyone is asleep. So I get up and walk to the kitchen. I look out of the kitchen and to the backyard. I look to the moonlit water. It’s so beautiful here. It almost seems fake. I open the doors and step outside. The fresh crisp air relaxes me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me?” I hear someone inside shout and the lights in the kitchen turn on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I quickly take a seat on the lower steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to bury you for this!” I suddenly recognize the voice as Sarah’s dad, Ward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gets quieter, but I can tell whatever he is saying, he’s angry. He talks for a bit longer before eventually hanging up mid-sentence. I hear him walk around for a bit before the doors open and he steps out. He suddenly notices me at the bottom of the steps.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Hello.” I stand up and turn around to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Mr. Cameron.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing out here? It’s cold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t sleep and just needed some fresh air.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you feeling alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s quite the loaded question.” That makes him chuckle a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can call me Ward by the way. At least until you're better and start working.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. Sorry about having to postpone work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really no problem. You’ve got enough to deal with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s an understatement.” I take a seat back down on the stairs and Ward comes down next to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What else is going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, other than possibly dying from a giant tumor in my head I’ve got the school saying that if I can’t return to school by the end of next month then there is no way I’ll be able to catch up and I’ll have to redo my senior year next fall.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t you just do your work from here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I tried that, but apparently they’re old school anddon’t have the resources to do so’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me talk to them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t need to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine. They’re scared of me and I’ve put tons of money into their school so they’ll have to listen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really no problem.” He stands up. “You shouldn’t stay out here too much longer. You don’t need a cold above everything else.” I laugh at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“How’d it go?” JJ asks as he picks me up from the hospital.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fun as always. Needles and chemicals rushing through my body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I never really know how to respond to that.” He goes in to kiss me, but I move back. “Sorry, but not really feeling it right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No problem.” We’re both silent as he starts driving off. “But… I know it’s not a big deal and it makes sense with everything going on, but we haven’t done anything in quite some time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just…” I don’t know how to explain it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I’ve looked it up and a lowered sex drive is one of the side effects of chemotherapy, but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You looked it up?” I look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I wanted to make sure I knew what you’d be going through and how I could help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really sweet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ I just wanted to help you and the best way I can do that is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” We just smile at each other. “You know you don’t need to do anything. Just being here is enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do I feel like you wanna say something else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well probably because I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then spit it out. I literally don’t have forever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t joke about that.” I love seeing him get serious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. What do you wanna say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know we talked about this before your first day of chemo… but…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why though? Just because you could maybe possibly die? That’s not a good excuse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want to be your boyfriend. That’s it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…” I can feel my stomach churning. “Pull over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pull over!” He pulls the car over and I quickly get out to vomit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” JJ steps out and comes up to hold me. “It’s okay. Just let it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it!” I push him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After I finish vomiting I take a swig of water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go. I need to lay down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sure.” We get in the car and have a very silent and awkward drive to Sarah’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” It’s all I say as I step out and go inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! How you doing?” Sarah walks up to me as I walk towards the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” I just keep walking and go inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look back for just a second and see Sarah and JJ talking. By the time I turn around I bump into Rafe, quickly falling to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit! Let me help.” Rafe tries helping me up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I’m good.” I swipe his hands off me and get to my feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems so.” I just look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should get to bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” He just smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re smiling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And? What’s wrong with that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing I guess.” I walk past him and head towards my room, but I notice Rafe is following. “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just thought I’d make sure you got to your room.”</span>
</p><p><span>“I don’t need a babysitter.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Never said you did.” He follows me into my room.</span></p><p>
  <span>“What? What in the world are you doing?” I find myself getting angry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just been a while since we’ve talked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well good talk. Bye.” I take a seat in my bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” He’s so stubborn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing. Just the same old chemo and brain tumor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It’s something else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lord you’re annoying.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. I try hard.” I can’t help but smile at that. “Now tell me the truth. Who am I gonna tell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spit it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate being weak. I hate being the one that everyone has to look over. I hate being so pathetic!” It feels great to let out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Too much for you to handle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop trying to push me away. We know you’re tough.” He sits on the other side of the bed. “In the first two decades of your life, you’ve gone through most in their entire life. You’d have to be tough. And just because you’re physically weak doesn’t mean we think you’re weak. I can’t speak for the rest of the loser squad, but in my opinion, when I first saw you just now, I thought you were the strongest person I’ve ever seen.” I’m honestly speechless as Rafe walks to the door. “I know this is hard. But pushing everyone away isn’t going to make it easier. So if you need to talk, my room’s upstairs.” He walks out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rafe.” He turns back in. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not necessary.” As he walks out he bumps into Sarah.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” She looks surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He just needs to rest.” He walks away and Sarah walks in.</span>
</p><p><span>“What’s going on? JJ said you were in a mood.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“I’m good now. I’ll apologize to him later.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” She closes the door.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>1 MONTH LATER…</b>
</p><p>
  <span>I don’t know how and don’t really want to know, but Ward was able to get the school to allow me until the end of the school year to finish all assignments I miss. I’ve been working on some when I’m having good days, but those days seem to be fewer and far between. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s been quite interesting living in the Cameron household. Almost nightly I hear Ward on the phone with someone. They rarely sound happy. Rafe is in and out at all hours. His new job seems to keep him busy. But he does stop by now and then to hang out. I like to school him in some Mario Kart. Sarah, John B, JJ, Pope, Kiara, and Taylor are all here almost daily. They all have good intentions, but it’s just so much. I’m already tired from the chemo, the raging headaches, the vomit, and the general aching that when they all try to come over and take my mind off it, I find myself thinking about it even more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But today is a special day. My doctor called yesterday, wanting to meet with me. I had very little sleep, aka none, last night. I snuck JJ in and we just cuddled all night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to go?” JJ asks as I stand in the bathroom looking at myself in the mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” I look so fragile.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>At the doctor’s I let JJ come in with me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” The doctor sits after we shake hands. “It seems that the tumor has stopped growing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” I force myself to stay calm and not smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It even seems to have shrunk a good amount.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What does this mean?” JJ is smiling, squeezing my hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It means we need to schedule surgery.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When?” JJ asks. I feel nauseous about all of this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As soon as possible. We have an opening for the day after tomorrow.” JJ and the doctor look at me. “If you’re up to it we can go in then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Sure.” I feel sick.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Episode 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’m scared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do that. The ‘what if’s’ are what bring fear. You just have to picture the results you want. Go ahead picture them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” I close my eyes and picture what I want.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now picture it until it seems real. Until you can’t even imagine any other results.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” The instant pain hits me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Language!” I open my eyes and my mom is holding the nail and smiling. “Now just wait until I bandage this up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You tricked me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t. You knew I was going to pull it out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But not right then. I thought you were gonna count to three or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you would’ve been expecting the pain. Do you still feel the pain?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because you stopped thinking about it. You’re focused on me. Everything in life changes when you change how you look at something. Focus on the process of it and the thing itself doesn’t seem so bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re evil.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe. What’s wrong with that?” She starts tickling me and we both laugh.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Parker.” I open my eyes and Sarah’s standing in my doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to head to the hospital?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a minute. I’ll meet you at the car.” Sarah walks off and I walk into the closet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I reach to the back of the top shelf and bring down my old duffle bag from my little league days. I haven’t been able to stop checking on this bag the past few days. I just keep checking to make sure everything is in it. I count everything. I double-check that everything is there. It is. I count again. It’s all there. I shove it back and walk outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker!” Taylor nearly tramples me as I step out, giving me a massive hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look around and everyone is there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” I quickly start to fight tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone has very forced smiles on their faces. If it wasn’t so sweet I’d think it was creepy. I hug everyone and they say things ranging from “we love you” to “good luck”, but it all just makes this scarier. Knowing that people are rooting for me only makes this harder. Part of me is ready to run inside and lock myself in my room. But it takes the very little strength left in me to fight against my basic instincts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Sarah, JJ, and I get in the car and drive off. I look back at the house and see Rafe standing in the backyard. We make eye contact for just a few seconds. He just smiles and nods his head.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“I told you not to run barefoot on the deck.” My mom looks at me as I hobble around the kitchen.</span>
</p><p><span>“There was a stray cat! I didn’t have time to look for shoes!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Oh! I had no idea!”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Told you it was important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My bad.” She just smiles and laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop laughing at me!” I go up to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not laughing at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you are!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…” She squats down to go face to face with me. “I would never laugh at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone laughs at me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Who?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kids at school.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sit down.” She walks me over to the table. “You need to know something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a secret. So you can’t tell anyone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you promise? Pinky swear?” She puts her pinky out to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pinky swear!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The hospital feels colder than before. A dry cold. But nothing’s as cold as the bed they put me in. The lack of clothes plus the freezing sheets makes my butt cheeks harden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be coming to take you down in a few minutes.” A nurse says before leaving the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I be alone?” I look at JJ and Sarah who have been hovering around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” Sarah just touches my shoulder and forces a smile, pushing back obvious tears in her eyes, before walking out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna do fine.” JJ looks so scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It will be. It’s not like I can leave, we have our monthiversary in a week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t remind me. I’ve got nothing planned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, then you better get started. I can be quite the picky boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been using that word a lot recently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was weird at first, but I’ve come to like it. It feels powerful.” We both laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Next we need pet names for each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god no! That’s too far.” He laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we at least get a ship name? How about…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” I grab his hand. “I’ll see you afterward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you soon.” We kiss before JJ leaves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye Baby Cakes.” I hear JJ laugh as he walks away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nurses come in and start rolling me off. As I begin to move through the hospital halls, I close my eyes. I take in deep breathes. I forget everything around me. I relax my body. Then I begin to imagine. I imagine after the surgery. My mom's words run through my head. I see myself sitting on a boat. JJ’s sitting next to me. We’re holding hands. I pan out and see Sarah and John B cuddling under a blanket. Next to them are Kiara and Pope arguing about something stupid. I see Taylor coming out with a tray of baked goods that she spent way too much time baking for a couple of people. Then I turn to see Rafe getting on the boat. He’s happy. He’s being greeted by everyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready?” I open my eyes and the surgeon is looking at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just look forward and listen to the music. We’ll ask you to say and do things throughout surgery to make sure we don’t hit any spots we don’t want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. I’m ready.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Sweetie. I want you to know a secret that very few people know.” My mom gets close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“People suck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The majority of the human race is filled with awful sucky people.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No buts, it’s just a fact.” She grabs both of my hands. “But, you will meet a few people that don’t suck. Eventually, there will be at least one person in your life that doesn’t suck. One that you can feel free to be completely yourself around. Someone that can be everything you need when you need it. To hold your hand when you aren’t feeling well. To make you laugh when you don’t feel like you can laugh any longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if I don’t. What if I never find someone like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will. You’re a good person.” She places her hand on my chest. “You’ve got a good heart. Good hearts find others with good hearts. It may take time. It may be tomorrow. It might not happen until you're in an old folk’s home. But it will happen. You may even meet more than one. An entire group of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How will I know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Know what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Know when someone is not a sucky person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may not know right away. People are complicated. They may seem sucky at first or even seem good. But as you spend time with them. When you start rubbing off on them, you’ll know. Your good heart will bring their good hearts out. And vice versa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vice versa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Their good hearts will rub off on.” She giggles. “They’ll make you better as you make them better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you find your person?” She looks at me in a way I’ve never seen before, maybe sadness</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s complicated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But how?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re annoying sometimes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perfect.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Episode 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Why is it that rain always represents sadness. Why does it make people cry? It doesn’t make me sad. It just makes me think about the wonderful world we live in. How a simple sequence of events can lead to things falling from the sky. Something that can both give life and end it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you talking to?” JJ walks into the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. I’m not seeing anyone. Just thinking out loud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love your beautifully weird mind.” He sits down on the bed next to me. “Here.  Drink something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t need to babysit me anymore. It’s been a week since the surgery.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re still in the hospital.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Until tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then until tomorrow, I babysit you.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <b>2 MONTHS LATER…</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off!” Pope shouts. “In no way or form is Westworld better than Game of Thrones!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is though! Did you see that final season? With that ridiculous battle at Winterfell.” JJ is fuming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That battle was epic!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That battle lasted 40 minutes and it’s been built up since the pilot episode! Yet they spend an entire episode on Dany burning down King's Landing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay… so that wasn’t great… but eight seasons of epic battles out beats robots having sex.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Having sex and becoming sentient beings with emotions and deciding they don’t want to be used by those with money anymore. It’s an allegory on the fall of men.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow.” Pope and everyone else stops to look at JJ.</span>
</p><p><span>“What? You surprised I know that word? I read!”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Graphic novels.” Everyone laughs.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Ha. Ha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay babe.” I wrap my arm around him. “You guys are both wrong anyway. The best HBO show is The Sopranos. Closely followed by The Wire and The Leftovers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… forgot about those.” Pope sits down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure you did,” JJ smirks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did too.” JJ sits down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, guys we’ve really gotta discuss Christmas plans.” Taylor jumps into the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still say we do a weekend on the boat.” John B has been trying to get this to happen for weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not all sleeping on this boat.” Kiara is highly against this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Same. One bathroom for all of us? In the middle of the ocean?” John B looks betrayed as Sarah chimes in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys can pee in the water. And we can fish for our food.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Kiara and Taylor both say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Then what?” John B crosses his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about my lake house?” I originally didn’t want to go there because of what happened the last Christmas I went, but JJ convinced me the other night, in bed, with a lot of… kissing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Sarah smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. It’s gonna be snowy, the water ice-cold, and the town empty… but it could be fun.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“So… what should I get John B?” JJ looks at me, running his fingers down my stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been trying to buy him a present for weeks and now we’re just days away from the day itself. I’m stumped. You’re an amazing gifter. I need your wise advice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? We’re talking about this now?” I reach my hand under the blanket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” He licks his lips. “Well… I just… Oh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“What’d you get JJ?” Sarah grabs the menu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a surprise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on! Let me know!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It’s between me and JJ.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet it’s something super romantic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’d you get John B?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something... I can’t share the specifics of without this meal getting very gross.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eww!” We both laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s very easy to buy for.” The server brings our drinks and some bread “So… I know you didn’t want to go to the lake house. Are you sure it’s okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t know how it will be, but I can’t avoid it every winter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True. But you know if you change your mind at any time, we can cancel it. Everyone would understand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. I know.” The server comes by and we give our orders. “It’ll be a year the day after tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? We can always leave the day after.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Your dad only gave me a few days off. I want us to have as much time as possible there.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“This constant rain is annoying.” John B stares out the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’m bored.” JJ throws a pillow at John B.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” John B throws it back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lord children!” Sarah shouts. “You’ve had this little pillow fight three times already. I’m beginning to feel a little jealous.” We all laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you’re my number one.” John B pulls her into his arms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” I hear JJ’s voice, but continue to stare out the window at the rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” It’s Sarah this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The rain looks so nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” I can hear John B ready to laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I stand up and open the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit! It’s cold dude!” John B shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you…?” JJ starts but stops when I turn around and look at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I just smile before stepping out barefoot. I feel mud go between my toes as my feet squish into the ground. It’s cold but weirdly relaxing. The raindrops start falling on me. I feel each raindrop hitting my water. Starting cold and warming as they run down my skin. I close my eyes and just feel it all. The wind shifting directions makes my skin shiver just a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker!” I hear JJ shout and turn around. “What’s going on?” He’s standing on the porch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just feeling alive.” He smiles. “Join me.” I stick my hand out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He starts walking towards me and I turn back around to look out at the water. It’s beautiful, in a creepy way. I feel JJ’s arms as he wraps them around me. I close my eyes and just breath him and the rain in. I open my eyes and immediately see my father standing by the water, waving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” I shout and immediately squirm my way out of JJ’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker? What’s wrong?” I turn to JJ and then back around and he’s gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s… it’s…” I turn back around and JJ grabs my shoulders. “He’s back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come inside.” I feel numb as JJ wraps his arm around me and guides me in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on? I hear a shout.” Sarah immediately wraps a towel around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. He freaked out and shouted ‘he’s back’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” John B throws JJ a towel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker? What’s going on?” Sarah looks me right in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m seeing him again. My father.” Sarah and JJ look at each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah called the doctor. She has time to see you tomorrow morning.” JJ helps me into the house and upstairs. “She said you should just try and get some sleep.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Sleep. Funny.” My body feels frozen as he puts me into bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to be fine. I’m sure it’s nothing. Probably means you need more sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you lay with me?” He just smiles and slides his shoes off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” He cuddles up behind me, wrapping his arm around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if it’s back?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we fight it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I can fight it again.” I grab hold of his hand. “I don’t think I’ve got any fight left in me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you can have all of my fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” I turn around to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give you all the fight I’ve got. You can borrow it. But I expect something in return.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…” He just smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” I almost start laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! Not that! I just want you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Just me? I’m worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re worth it all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doubt that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sell yourself so short. You’re quite amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quite an amazing pain in the ass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop that.” He kisses me. “You are my favorite person on this planet. If you say anything bad about yourself then you’re also saying that I’ve got bad taste.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t want to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Enough talking. You need to rest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine. Just hold me tight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will do.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Episode 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So… after looking at the scans I don’t think we have anything to worry about.” The doctor is smiling, but it feels wrong. “We’ll of course have to wait on your blood test, but I’d be pretty confident in saying that everything’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what was it?” Sarah asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably just a combination of stress and lack of sleep.” She looks at me. “I’d recommend you just relax for a few days. Use the holiday to unwind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah and I get to the car and she doesn’t turn it on or say a word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I’ve been fighting the thoughts for so long. I hate myself for this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What’s going on Sarah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. Nevermind. It’s all good.” She turns the car on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah. Please. Just say it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like you love being the center of attention.” She blurts out and I just sit there in shock. “I get it. You’ve gone through so much shit. You barely survived the summer. It’s hard for you not to be in the center of everything. But somehow everything always ends up about you being sad. About you seeing things. About your sad past. It’s really been annoying me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Annoying you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The stuff with your mom and dad is in the past! You need to move on! Or just have breakdowns every time we’re all hanging out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you do!” I’ve never seen Sarah this angry before. “Last month at my birthday party you had a sudden headache and everyone went to help you. Rest of the night everyone was checking on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had brain surgery a month earlier!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about the time we all left the drive-in theater because it was too loud? That was just a week ago!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brain! Surgery!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That excuse only lasts so long!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear? I’ve got a sucky life and I tend to have random meltdowns and it just so happens to happen while hanging out with my friends. Or so I thought so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t do that! Of course we’re your friends. We’ve done nothing but help you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does anyone else feel this way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just tell me. I’d rather know so the next time I see my dead father I know who to talk to about it. I don’t wanna freak you all out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pope. And Kiara. And Taylor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JJ?”</span>
</p><p><span>“Well…”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Fuck this!” I get out of the car and slam the door shut.</span></p><p>
  <span>“Parker!” I start walking away. “Fuck!”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>I start walking. Just like the one time before. But this time I’m fuming. I’m walking fast and my adrenaline is rushing. Then I do the one thing I never thought I’d do, I run. I just start running as fast as I can. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As I run I start thinking. Is Sarah right? Am I just someone who wants attention? Do I use my past? Maybe I don’t even realize I do it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” I shout and slow down, stepping off the side of the road and to the nearest tree. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Have I screwed this up? Have I screwed up the first real friends I’ve ever had? What about JJ? If he thinks that… he must really feel differently about me than he says. Is he planning on breaking up with me? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly my head starts pounding. It stings like a bee is in there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I take in a deep breath and just start running again. Then I start crying. It feels so bizarre. Tears run down my face and fly behind me as I head as fast as I can towards the smell of the ocean.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God! What’s wrong with me?” I stop again, this time crying uncontrollably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything around me feels off. Fuzzy almost. The trees seem bigger than they should be. The air feels thicker as it moves through my body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then I see him again. Standing in the middle of the road not too far away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you do this to me? Why?” I shout at him and he just smiles and waves. “What’s wrong with me?” I go down to my knees and start crying uncontrollably, my eyes hurting from it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I just sit there. I cry. I look at my father. I cry some more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, eventually, it just stops. There are no more tears left to cry. My body just can’t do it anymore. I make it to my feet and continue walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, dad.” I walk past him and continue, my body numb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My head is still pounding as I reach the beach. No one’s around and just take a seat. I stare forward and just breathe, my head continues to pound.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Eventually, the sun goes down. My headache eventually goes away. Everything goes away. It feels weirdly appropriate. I honestly don’t know what time it is. My phone’s been vibrating a lot, but after a while, I just stopped feeling it. The only thing I can focus on right now is the ocean. I’ve always loved the ocean. But something about it is even better at night. It looks endless. Like if I just started swimming then I would get lost and never be able to find my way back. Then there’s the sound. It’s so peaceful. Each wave crashing. The sounds of the waves crashing in the distance fighting against those close up. I can’t help but want to fall asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker!” I snap out of it and turn my head around to see JJ.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go away!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” He sits down next to me. “Sarah called me. Let me know what happened. She feels bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. And you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m assuming you feel the same way she does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what they say about assuming…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it.” His smile quickly goes away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s brought it up to me before. Sometime after her birthday party. She was a bit drunk and just a little upset. Some of the others didn’t agree or disagree with her. I told them to stop talking about it and for all I knew that was the last time it was mentioned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is someth…” I stop myself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He puts his hand on my back and I shrug him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing. I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t listen to her. It’s not always about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It sure feels like it is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember Halloween?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. What about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was only a few weeks after your surgery and you couldn’t do anything. But I mentioned that stupid couples costume contest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was. It really was. But you could tell I really wanted to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even though you kept saying it was stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. You could see through that stupid facade I put up. So you got us the most ridiculous and amazing couples costume.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.” I can’t help but laugh at the mental image I get from that night. “You were quite the Mermaid Man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you were quite the Barnacle Boy.” He grabs my hand and I let him. “But you did that for me. It had nothing to do with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were robbed by the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We lost to Batman and Robin. So basic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They had a working grappling hook and actual batarangs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?” We both laugh and he puts his arm around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should get going. It’s getting cold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A few more minutes.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“So what are you planning to do about Sarah and the others?” He walks me to my door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Avoid until all is forgotten?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re driving up to the lake house tomorrow afternoon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll talk to Sarah tomorrow night. I’ll drive up with you and John B.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you’re okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight.” We kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight. Love you.” I blurt it out without thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… really?” He is smiling like a little kid on Christmas morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t take it back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t going to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were gonna try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I?” I step up to him. “It’s true.” I pull him up to me and kiss him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now go. Before I take it back.” I push him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t take it back now.” He jumps off the deck. “Love you. Love you. Love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just go.” I can’t stop laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said it first.” He sits on the hood of his car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m never gonna hear the end of this, am I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. Never.” He blows an air kiss. “Love you.” He jumps off his car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too weirdo.” He gets in his car and drives off, honking as he drives away. “Weirdo.” I can’t stop smiling.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Episode 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I couldn’t help it. I woke up at four in the morning. I jumped out of bed quite happy. All I could think about was JJ. I can’t sleep when I think about him. It’s annoying, but I don’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alexa. Play some happy music.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The music starts going and I begin packing my bag, dancing, and just enjoying the morning. Everything feels good, at least when I don’t think about having to share a house with everyone else and having to have a talk with Sarah that is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I walk to the stairs I stop in front of Grams’ room. I haven’t stepped in there since she died. And for some odd reason, this feels like the right moment. So I grab that doorknob and turn it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I push the door open the strong smell of my Grams rushes out of the room. It’s refreshing to smell that scent again. Everything looks like the last time I saw it but covered in a solid layer of dust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing I notice is the pile of gossip magazines. She loved that nonsense. I grab the one on top and she wrote a comment on it. She thinks the dress doesn’t flatter the woman on the cover. It should’ve been strapless. I laugh at that. I can hear her say it in my head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look around to see the recliner my grandma sat in at night and played her online poker while watching game shows. The thought of that just makes me laugh. I grab her iPad and it’s dead. I plug it in to start charging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walk around and look at a few more things before going into her closet. When I turn on the light, the first thing I notice is this rectangular box with Christmas wrapping paper. My name is written in Sharpie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who goes Christmas shopping this early?” I grab the box and bring it over to her bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second I debate whether or not to open it. Maybe I should wait for Christmas? But what the hell, I love a good present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I rip the paper off to see a very nice wooden box. My name is carved on top. I open it and up and immediately I feel my eyes tearing up. My stomach drops. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” I hear JJ come into the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Up here!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I can hear his heavy feet clanking up the old stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” He pops his head into the room. “What are you doing in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought it was time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Find anything good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tons.” I show him the piles of stuff all over the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s all this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grams’ Christmas present to me.” I show him the box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And all of this was in it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is all this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well here are some photos of me. This one’s from kindergarten.” I hand him the photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god! You were the cutest kid! And you were blonde?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Until I was 10 or so.” I hand him some others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you dressed up in this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sebastian from The Little Mermaid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love it. Is that your mom?” I look at the photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was.” I wipe some tears from my eyes. “And this is my mom and dad on their wedding day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. That hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, right!” We both laugh. “Then there’s this.” I grab an envelope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A letter from my mom to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She apparently wrote it the day I was born. Wanted me to have it when I was older.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s in it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not much. Just a bit about how she can’t wait to meet me when I’m older. She couldn’t wait to see who I would fall in love with. She even said she hoped I’d be gay so she’d have two sons.” I suddenly start to cry more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” JJ starts rubbing my back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She would’ve loved you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am quite amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are.” I laugh while I wipe my tears. “She also said there better be corn dogs at the wedding. They were her favorite.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m liking her even more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh and there’s this!” I hand him a notebook. “It’s her journal. There are three of them. One from her childhood. One from her college days. And one from her pregnancy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow! She was thorough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ve only read a little bit of it, but she wrote everything down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s this?” He grabs a stuffed monkey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Monkeee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Monkeee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was my favorite stuffed animal when I was a kid. And for the longest time, I thought monkey had lots of e’s at the end. So I would shout for Monkeee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That may be the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait till you read this.” I hand him a folded piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My second-grade project about what I wanted to be when I was older.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god.” He says as he opens the paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanted to be a WWE wrestler?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was my guilty pleasure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In second grade?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well one day my mom was making me food and I started flipping through the channels. Eventually, I saw a big fight and couldn’t stop watching. My parents hated me watching it, but I kept doing it anyway. Every time they left the room I turned it back on. Something about the costumes, the over the top acting, and the crazy names were fascinating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did… did you have one of those crazy names?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. Spill it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Parking Lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He starts laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was little. I thought it was cool. It went with my name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” He can’t stop laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I took all the other cars and parked them away. I thought it sounded badass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, child…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shut up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Parking Lot.” He wraps his arm around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Parking Lot.” We both start laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should get going. John B’s waiting for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ll finish going through this when we get back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring one of the notebooks. You can read it on the ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on.” He helps me to my feet. “I’ll get the car going and then we can head to The Parking Lot.” He laughs as he walks out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” I can’t help but laugh at it as I put everything away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s awkward when we arrive at John B’s. I say hello. He says hello. Then I get in the back of his van and we start driving away. I start reading the first notebook. It’s a little hard to read. She rambles on about things that happened in the day. Her spelling is also a bit off, making it much harder to understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything interesting so far?” JJ looks back at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So far she really likes the BB gun her dad gave her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn.” He laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that?” John B asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He found some things his Grams left him. Including some notebooks his mom wrote in.” JJ looks back at me, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really nice.” John B starts. “Parker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” I move closer to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what happened with Sarah yesterday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guessed as much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand if you’re upset. I just… I don’t really know how to explain this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it. It’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really no problem. Can you just please try and forgive Sarah? She really cares about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I can try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” John B pulls over into a gas station. “I’ll fill up the tank. Who wants to grab some snacks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do it. Need to stretch my legs anyway.” I step out and walk into the gas station store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi. How are you?” The lady at the register asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. And you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walk to the fridges and grab a variety of soda, juices, and some water. Then I go down the snack aisle. This is where things get complicated. There are a lot of categories of snacks and then many options in each category. I need something a little salty and some sweets. So I first grab the classics, aka the pretzels, barbecue lays, some M&amp;M’s, and Skittles. Then I go for the specifics. I know John B likes gummy worms. So I grab two of those and some bears just in case. Then there’s JJ, who’s pickier. I grab him some Reese's cups and a crunch bar. He likes to eat them together. It’s weird. And then I grab myself my favorite, the classic Twizzler’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walk up to the register, barely able to hold everything. But then this man jumps in front of me, asking the woman for cigarettes. I step back and let him go. The Twizzler’s start slipping out of my fingers when my head starts to hurt. It starts to hurt badly. Like a weird burning. Then my body just starts to go numb and I drop everything. The lady and man look at me and I instantly drop to the ground. I feel my head smack against the ground. The woman starts shouting. I feel someone touch my neck. Then it all begins to fade. Everything goes black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I couldn’t help it. I woke up at four in the morning. I jumped out of bed quite happy. All I could think about was JJ. I can’t sleep when I think about him. It’s annoying, but I don’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alexa. Play some happy music.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The music starts going and I begin packing my bag, dancing, and just enjoying the morning. Everything feels good, at least when I don’t think about having to share a house with everyone else and having to have a talk with Sarah that is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I walk to the stairs I stop in front of Grams’ room. I haven’t stepped in there since she died. And for some odd reason, this feels like the right moment. So I grab that doorknob and turn it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I push the door open the strong smell of my Grams rushes out of the room. It’s refreshing to smell that scent again. Everything looks like the last time I saw it but covered in a solid layer of dust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing I notice is the pile of gossip magazines. She loved that nonsense. I grab the one on top and she wrote a comment on it. She thinks the dress doesn’t flatter the woman on the cover. It should’ve been strapless. I laugh at that. I can hear her say it in my head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look around to see the recliner my grandma sat in at night and played her online poker while watching game shows. The thought of that just makes me laugh. I grab her iPad and it’s dead. I plug it in to start charging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walk around and look at a few more things before going into her closet. When I turn on the light, the first thing I notice is this rectangular box with Christmas wrapping paper. My name is written in Sharpie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who goes Christmas shopping this early?” I grab the box and bring it over to her bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second I debate whether or not to open it. Maybe I should wait for Christmas? But what the hell, I love a good present.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I rip the paper off to see a very nice wooden box. My name is carved on top. I open it and up and immediately I feel my eyes tearing up. My stomach drops. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” I hear JJ come into the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Up here!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I can hear his heavy feet clanking up the old stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” He pops his head into the room. “What are you doing in here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought it was time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Find anything good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tons.” I show him the piles of stuff all over the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s all this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grams’ Christmas present to me.” I show him the box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And all of this was in it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is all this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well here are some photos of me. This one’s from kindergarten.” I hand him the photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god! You were the cutest kid! And you were blonde?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Until I was 10 or so.” I hand him some others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you dressed up in this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sebastian from The Little Mermaid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love it. Is that your mom?” I look at the photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She was.” I wipe some tears from my eyes. “And this is my mom and dad on their wedding day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow. That hair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, right!” We both laugh. “Then there’s this.” I grab an envelope.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A letter from my mom to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She apparently wrote it the day I was born. Wanted me to have it when I was older.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s in it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not much. Just a bit about how she can’t wait to meet me when I’m older. She couldn’t wait to see who I would fall in love with. She even said she hoped I’d be gay so she’d have two sons.” I suddenly start to cry more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” JJ starts rubbing my back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She would’ve loved you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am quite amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are.” I laugh while I wipe my tears. “She also said there better be corn dogs at the wedding. They were her favorite.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m liking her even more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh and there’s this!” I hand him a notebook. “It’s her journal. There are three of them. One from her childhood. One from her college days. And one from her pregnancy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow! She was thorough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ve only read a little bit of it, but she wrote everything down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s this?” He grabs a stuffed monkey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Monkeee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Monkeee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was my favorite stuffed animal when I was a kid. And for the longest time, I thought monkey had lots of e’s at the end. So I would shout for Monkeee.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That may be the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait till you read this.” I hand him a folded piece of paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And this is?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My second-grade project about what I wanted to be when I was older.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god.” He says as he opens the paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You wanted to be a WWE wrestler?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was my guilty pleasure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“In second grade?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well one day my mom was making me food and I started flipping through the channels. Eventually, I saw a big fight and couldn’t stop watching. My parents hated me watching it, but I kept doing it anyway. Every time they left the room I turned it back on. Something about the costumes, the over the top acting, and the crazy names were fascinating.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did… did you have one of those crazy names?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. Spill it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Parking Lot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He starts laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was little. I thought it was cool. It went with my name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” He can’t stop laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I took all the other cars and parked them away. I thought it sounded badass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, child…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shut up!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry Parking Lot.” He wraps his arm around me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Parking Lot.” We both start laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should get going. John B’s waiting for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ll finish going through this when we get back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bring one of the notebooks. You can read it on the ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on.” He helps me to my feet. “I’ll get the car going and then we can head to The Parking Lot.” He laughs as he walks out of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” I can’t help but laugh at it as I put everything away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s awkward when we arrive at John B’s. I say hello. He says hello. Then I get in the back of his van and we start driving away. I start reading the first notebook. It’s a little hard to read. She rambles on about things that happened in the day. Her spelling is also a bit off, making it much harder to understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything interesting so far?” JJ looks back at me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So far she really likes the BB gun her dad gave her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn.” He laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that?” John B asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He found some things his Grams left him. Including some notebooks his mom wrote in.” JJ looks back at me, smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s really nice.” John B starts. “Parker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” I move closer to the front.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know what happened with Sarah yesterday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guessed as much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand if you’re upset. I just… I don’t really know how to explain this…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I get it. It’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s really no problem. Can you just please try and forgive Sarah? She really cares about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I can try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” John B pulls over into a gas station. “I’ll fill up the tank. Who wants to grab some snacks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do it. Need to stretch my legs anyway.” I step out and walk into the gas station store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi. How are you?” The lady at the register asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. And you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walk to the fridges and grab a variety of soda, juices, and some water. Then I go down the snack aisle. This is where things get complicated. There are a lot of categories of snacks and then many options in each category. I need something a little salty and some sweets. So I first grab the classics, aka the pretzels, barbecue lays, some M&amp;M’s, and Skittles. Then I go for the specifics. I know John B likes gummy worms. So I grab two of those and some bears just in case. Then there’s JJ, who’s pickier. I grab him some Reese's cups and a crunch bar. He likes to eat them together. It’s weird. And then I grab myself my favorite, the classic Twizzler’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I walk up to the register, barely able to hold everything. But then this man jumps in front of me, asking the woman for cigarettes. I step back and let him go. The Twizzler’s start slipping out of my fingers when my head starts to hurt. It starts to hurt badly. Like a weird burning. Then my body just starts to go numb and I drop everything. The lady and man look at me and I instantly drop to the ground. I feel my head smack against the ground. The woman starts shouting. I feel someone touch my neck. Then it all begins to fade. Everything goes black.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Episode 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Death isn’t exactly what I expected. Though there was pain at first, once it all went dark it felt weird. Like a weird fuzzy feeling in my entire body. And now I’m here. It looks like it always has. The lake house. The fireplace is roaring. It even has that stench of wood and wool blankets. It’s dark outside though. Like very dark. I can barely see the pool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the old TV my dad insisted on keeping in the living room turns on. I walk over and there I am. On the tv. I’m just lying there. I look weird. It all looks so familiar, but I can’t quite figure out what it is. There are a man and a woman. They’re standing over me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker?” It hits me as JJ walks into the store. “Parker?” He shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just called 9-1-1. They should be here in a minute.” The lady speaks as the man is giving me CPR.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>JJ just stands there. He is frozen. In fear. In shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then John B walks in. He responds differently. He goes to my body and takes over for the other man. He looks back at JJ and I can tell he’s worried about him. Somewhere deep inside, John B is shaking and wants to run and hide, but his core being is pushing through. It’s pushing him to fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the ambulance arrives they take over for John B. He steps back to JJ.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get in the car. We’ll follow them to the hospital.” John B puts his arm behind JJ and walks him over to the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They start following the ambulance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you use my phone and call Sarah?” John B looks to JJ. “JJ? JJ!” When he shouts, JJ just looks at him. “Call Sarah.” JJ just nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Babe.” Sarah puts the phone on speakerphone. “We’re running a little bit behind because </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone</span>
  </em>
  <span> spilled their soda in my car…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiara pushed me,” Pope shouts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t! Don’t use me as an excuse for your clumsiness!” Everyone laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah.” John B’s voice is serious, almost thick feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Everyone gets silent, all feeling it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re headed to the hospital. Parker collapsed.” The car goes silent. “Sarah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone looks to Sarah, who’s just staring forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which hospital?” Taylor asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the others arrive they head to the waiting room John B described to them. Immediately John B runs to Sarah and hugs her. She stands there still, almost lifeless. Pope and Kiara take a seat. Taylor goes up to JJ, who’s just been walking back and forth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JJ? You okay?” Taylor tries to make eye contact with him, but he just looks to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s been doing that the whole time.” John B walks up. Sarah goes and sits down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any word from the doctors?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly happened?” Taylor and John B sit down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He walked in to get some snacks and next I know I walk in and he’s on the ground.” Pope and Kiara look to John B. “He… he looked…” Suddenly JJ kicks one of the chairs. “JJ?” John B walks over to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are the doctors?” John B can tell JJ is quickly starting to get angry. He’s seen JJ like this only a few times before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll be here soon. How ‘bout you get a drink?” He hands JJ some cash and points to the vending machine down the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As JJ walks off John B runs his hands through his hair, closes his eyes, and takes in a deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I find it weird as I watch everyone handle this. I was expecting something else. I never really thought about my death in this way. All the time I feared death, I never once thought about what it would do to everyone else. I never thought there were people that cared so much about me. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m even more shocked by the certain ways people are handling it. I assumed Sarah would be taking charge. That she would be the one to keep it together for the others. I believed Pope and maybe Taylor would help her out. But instead, John B seems to be keeping it all together. He’s handling everyone. Taylor’s doing fine, but she still seems to be in some shock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The doctor.” It’s all Kiara has said so far.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John B turns to see a doctor walking up to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you Parker’s family?” Her face seems cold, unable to be read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, yeah.” Everyone but Sarah and JJ look to John B and the doctor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems Parker had an aneurysm. It was probably too small to be seen in a CT. But it was in a spot that, when it burst, it killed him right away. I’m so sorry. He likely felt no pain.” That’s a lie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instantly Kiara, Pope, and Taylor begin to cry. Sarah stares forward, with no sign of life. Then JJ walks up as the doctor walks away. He just looks into John B’s eyes. Without a word, JJ knows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JJ.” John B goes to hug him, but he just gets angry and throws his drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone jumps in fear. JJ looks around, confused. He then quickly starts to walk to the stairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JJ!”  I can tell that John B is starting to snap.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>POPE, KIARA, AND TAYLOR</b>
</p><p>
  <span>They all just sit there in the chairs as they cry and watch JJ storm off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We… we should…” Taylor begins to talk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck!” Kiara just shouts, gets to her feet, and storms off to the bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taylor and Pope look at each other. They grab each other's hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should go check on her.” Taylor stands up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To the girl’s room?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” They both laugh a little, but then stop once they remember what’s happening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walk into the bathroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiara?” Taylor starts to look under the stall doors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go away.” I’ve never seen Kiara like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not happening.” Taylor opens the last stall door to see Kiara wiping her tears with toilet paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This wasn’t supposed to happen.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It wasn’t.” Taylor steps up to her and kneels down. “Nothing like this should ever happen. None of us really believed this was a possibility. We’ve all seen the movies and thought that he would survive and this would be some fun story we talked about years down the line.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Life isn’t a movie.” Kiara reaches out to Taylor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. It isn’t.” They both stand up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck this!” Pope shouts and they both turn to look at him crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pope…” Kiara runs up to him and just starts hugging him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taylor walks up and joins in the hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll all make it through this,” Taylor whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Together,” Kiara says before continuing to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re both staying over at my place tonight,” Taylor says it for them, but mostly for herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds good.” They stop hugging and Pope wipes his tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My mom will be thrilled to bake for you guys.” She takes her phone out to text her mom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will she make her apple pie?” Kiara whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>SARAH</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah?” John B kneels down to her. “You wanna talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go to JJ. He needs you more.” She finally speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be back in a bit.” He kisses her on the forehead before running off after JJ.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sarah watches as Kiara runs off. Then watches Taylor and Pope follow after her. Then she just sits there. Alone. Watching her sit there makes me wonder. It makes me wonder why she hasn’t cried. Why she hasn’t said anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she just stands up out of nowhere and walks to the elevator. She gets to her car. Then she drives off. She drives in complete silence. Says nothing. Does nothing. Just drives. Until she reaches her house. Her dad is sitting on the front porch reading the newspaper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sweetie.” She doesn’t stop or say anything, just continues as if she doesn’t see him. “Sarah?” He gets up and follows her inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sis.” Rafe walks down the stairs and she ignores him as well. “What’s wrong with her?” He asks his dad as he walks in behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They follow her as she walks to my old room. She just walks barely in and stops walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah? Sweetie? You’re scaring me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker is dead.” It’s all she says. Simple. Straight to the point. It feels weird that three little words can describe what has happened to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Rafe laughs, not knowing if what he heard is real or some twisted joke his mind is playing on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker is dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god.” Rafe steps back, trying to keep himself together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Sweetie… I’m so sorry.” He goes to try and hug his daughter, but she shrugs him off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna go for a swim.” She moves past her dad and Rafe, going straight to the pool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She takes her clothes off, down to her bra and underwear. Then she jumps in. Flashes of memories hit her as her skin touches the water. She thinks about the time we were in the pool at the lake house. How I opened up to her. She remembers me sinking to the bottom. She does the same. She sits on the bottom, eyes shut, and just starts screaming. She lets it all out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sarah.” She hears her name as she gets above water, it’s Rafe. “You okay?” He puts his feet in the pool as she swims over to the edge. “I guess you’re not really in the mood to talk. But whenever you are I’m here.” She looks up to him, seeing tears building up in his eyes. “Parker was special. And you’re special. It’s a miracle the two of you were ever able to meet.” Finally, Sarah smiles the tiniest of smiles. “You’re also nuts for going for a swim in this weather. You’re gonna catch pneumonia.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rafe gets up and walks away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rafe.” She speaks and Rafe turns around. “You’re special too.” Then she sinks back into the water, this time opening her eyes and looking up into the blurry world.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>JJ</b>
</p><p>
  <span>JJ runs down the stairs and then just stops. He starts kicking the wall violently. His foot is in pain, but it’s nothing compared to his heart. Then he punches the wall. He feels the crack in his fist and just starts screaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“JJ.” John B finds him and first JJ tries running, but John B cuts him off. “You need to calm down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t!” He shouts right in John B’s face, tears rolling down his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You do. None of this is making things better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing will make this better!” JJ’s face is getting red, his throat aching and making it harder to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time will.” John B tries to hug JJ, but he pushes him back. “JJ. Just let it happen.” He goes back in for a hug and this time he isn’t pushed back. “Just let it happen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t,” JJ speaks softer this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you can.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I do…” He sniffles his nose. “I may never stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then don’t. Just get it all out. Talk about it. Cry about it. Do whatever it takes to move just one step forward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But… bu…” JJ tries speaking but just starts sobbing uncontrollably.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” They both fall to the floor together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He said he loved me. Last night.” He blurts out between moans. “He loved me.” He gasps, suddenly realizing what he had said. “Loved.” he starts crying more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He still loves you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And I do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After maybe thirty minutes of straight crying, JJ is wiped. He looks exhausted. John B helps him up and gets him to a doctor for his hand. As the doctor walks out of the room to talk with John B, JJ lays back. He looks up at the ceiling. The little specks on it. It kinda looks like the night sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Parker…” JJ feels weird speaking to himself, but some part of him knows that I’m listening. “I’ll always love you.” Tears roll down the sides of his face. “I hope that you know that. I hope that you know I will never forget about you. You have been my first love. My greatest love.” He sniffles and wipes the tears out of his eyes. “Nothing will ever change that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>John B</b>
</p><p>
  <span>After dropping the others off at Taylor’s, John B brings JJ back to his place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The doctor wants you to take one of these every morning and night for the next week.” He puts the pills next to the bed. “Get some sleep. I’ll be around if you need anything.” He leaves the room, turning the lights off and closing the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>John B walks straight outside and instantly begins crying. He’s finally letting it all out. I can see the pain pulling him apart. He grabs a fallen branch and starts hitting it against the closest tree. As pieces of wood snap off and fly around him, tears roll down his cheeks and to the ground. He says nothing. Just cries. Just hits the tree with all the strength he’s got. He picks up another branch and continues. He just keeps going, feeling his body get weaker with each wack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the TV screen goes black. Outside the lake house starts to brighten. I can feel it. It’s time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please. No… just let me watch a little more…” I try turning the TV on. “Please!” I hit the TV and nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the back doors open. It’s getting much brighter outside. I step to the doors and look out to the docks. I see him. Clearly. He’s smiling and waving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad.” I wave back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t forget your shoes.” Her voice immediately makes me cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My mom turns up beside me with my shoes. She just smiles and then the shoes are on my feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll meet you down there.” I grab her hand, but it slips away as she walks towards the docks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I look back into the house. It’s empty. No furniture. No TV. Nothing but the house. It’s no longer home. It’s time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I turn and face the dock. Both my parents stand there. They wave to me, smiling. Then I take the first step towards them, a bright and warm light filling up my body. I can tell. From the feeling. The warmth flowing through my body. I’m home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>SEASON 3 IS HAPPENING...</b>
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